What young players do you see stepping up in 2012 – especially in the secondary?

I liked what I saw from Cortez Allen and Keenan Lewis. Those are the guys, especially if William Gay leaves. Up front, it’s hard to tell sometimes how linemen are progressing in this defensive system. Everybody wants to see big plays, but the linebackers are paid for those. The linemen are paid to tie up blockers and fulfill inglorious responsibilities so that the linebackers can make plays.

On offense, I like the idea of Weslye Saunders becoming a bigger part of the offense. His teammates see the talent. I expect we all might see it next season — and here’s hoping his suspension is lifted, given that it appears it was medication for ADD.

There's some good news (a few of us have speculated as such, but this is the first time I've seen it in writing that the positive test was for something like Adderall instead of marijuana or steroids).

Mo_Steel

02-16-2012, 04:09 PM

I think in one of Colbert's interviews he said similar. He said he couldn't say much but did state it was definitely not a "street drug" and that it was for something in the performance enhancement classification. Sorry but didn't see any confirmation that he thought Saunders may get out of it.

RuthlessBurgher

02-16-2012, 04:16 PM

I think in one of Colbert's interviews he said similar. He said he couldn't say much but did state it was definitely not a "street drug" and that it was for something in the performance enhancement classification. Sorry but didn't see any confirmation that he thought Saunders may get out of it.

Yeah, I don't know if the suspension will be reduced or eliminated (we are talking about Overlord Goodell here, after all...fairness be damned), but as long as our front office knows that he tested positiive for a prescribed A.D.D. medication (Jonathan Dwyer also takes A.D.D. meds, if I recall correctly), then this young promising talent should not be thrown out on his keister as some Pittsburgh scribes have suggested (after all, it's not a Santonio-like street drug problem, and not a Cushing/Merriman type of performance enhancer we are talking about here). If a doctor prescribes it for him, then he shouldn't be suspended for it (and certainly not cut because of it).

Mister Pittsburgh

02-16-2012, 09:46 PM

Does it, or does it not, have to be a 2nd offense for a 4 game suspension?

RuthlessBurgher

02-16-2012, 09:58 PM

Does it, or does it not, have to be a 2nd offense for a 4 game suspension?

I think for street drugs, there has to be multiple offenses before it draws a suspension (I think the first offense is a fine, plus having to enter the league's drug program which involves testing more often than the average player). For drugs deemed to be performance enhancing (and the stimulants in an A.D.D. drug are apparently considered as such), I think a first offense gets you a 4 game ban.

DBR96A

02-19-2012, 09:57 PM

My favorite part of that interview:

"Everybody is fixated on shorter passes and getting rid of the ball quicker. Did they ever think that defensive coordinators might be thinking about that, too, and might want to take away those options? “Just do what you did against the Titans and New England!” Oh, OK, we’ll just recreate those games. Never mind that Tennessee had maybe the worst pass rush in pro football and that New England’s wasn’t appreciably better. Ben picked those teams apart with short passes, proving that when that option is available, he is more than willing and able to play that kind of game."

Glad I'm not the only one who sees this.

NJ-STEELER

02-19-2012, 10:34 PM

My favorite part of that interview:

"Everybody is fixated on shorter passes and getting rid of the ball quicker. Did they ever think that defensive coordinators might be thinking about that, too, and might want to take away those options? “Just do what you did against the Titans and New England!” Oh, OK, we’ll just recreate those games. Never mind that Tennessee had maybe the worst pass rush in pro football and that New England’s wasn’t appreciably better. Ben picked those teams apart with short passes, proving that when that option is available, he is more than willing and able to play that kind of game."

Glad I'm not the only one who sees this.

been saying that for a while now.

and how do you get the defenses to stop that...with longer routes..although i think bruce went a little to far at times